Remain In Light

Great first half, sputters a bit after Once in a Lifetime, but overall, a great album

Really held up well - enjoyed almost all of it.

"The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material." Michelangelo The studio once appeared as a site of possibility. Its promise was that a "non-musician" like Eno and an "art punk" like Byrne could, through technology, approximation and montage, approach what someone like Fela Kuti could generate live - not by imitating Afrobeat, but by redistributing agency across machines, rooms and bodies. Remain in Light emerges at the moment when that promise is still operative, but already compromised. The album stages a tension between process and product. Were these songs excavated from collective improvisation, or were they the arbitrary limits imposed once the jam became unmanageable for nerds like Brian and David? The answer is both. What begins as open-ended circulation is rapidly territorialised. Groove is captured, looped, stabilised. What had the potential to remain social becomes fixed as recording. Where Byrne once brought songs to the band, he now extracts or distils songs from them. It is an anti-social act that suits his twitchy subject matter. The comparison with Zombie is instructive. Fela’s grooves are not frameworks to be escaped but environments to be occupied. They remain open to mutation in real time. Repetition produces not stasis but duration - a collective inhabiting of time. Remain in Light, by contrast, offers repetition without inhabitation. The loops do not deepen; they accumulate. More and more material is added. The groove becomes a structure rather than a situation. Byrne’s voice makes this contradiction audible. He cannot dissolve into rhythm because dissolution is precisely what the music - and his persona - withholds. His fidgety presence, the sense of nervous motion without arrival, registers an emerging condition: recorded music becoming aware of its own enclosure. And enclosure implies ownership, which Byrne and Eno quietly claim for themselves. The studio is no longer a space of liberation but a site where freedom is simulated, then parcelled off. In this sense, Remain in Light documents a historical transition. For decades, the studio appeared to offer limitless expansion. Through the 50s, 60s, 70s and into the 80s, it promised new spaces, new temporalities, new freedoms. Now, as the live room contracts into the home studio and the laptop, that promise looks different. The studio no longer expands what music can be so much as multiplies its options. More tools, fewer exits. Contemporary production is quantised, on the grid, digitally perfected in infinite ways. That’s all. Remain in Light doesn’t fail to achieve transcendence; it diagnoses its impossibility under late modernity. Byrne’s later discomfort with the Talking Heads catalogue is already encoded here - the sense of being trapped inside canonical versions of once-fluid processes. But that’s what he had to do, because that’s the purpose of a pop artist. And, of course, he didn’t want to share the process with his bandmates. Groove is all feel, and he wanted to overthink it with Eno. 3 I ought to like Talking Heads more than I do. That they were capable of stretching themselves creatively (or at least being contrary enough) to produce Remain in Light rather than something safer, more predictable and less colourful should be enough to earn the admiration of someone who holds up Kid A, for example, as a favourite record. That the band were able to suppress their egos enough to submit more than ever to the dominant creative oversight of Brian Eno and the substantive musical contribution of guest musicians should be enough. The only problem is I never actually want to listen to this album. I approve without enjoying. I acknowledge the elegance and distinctiveness of the grooves that populate most of this record but I can’t help feeling that there is always stasis. There is little narrative in the song structures, much less in the lyrics - cool mutterings about nothing much. There is approximate repetition without development. Variation is superficial and centred on timbre, where there is variation at all. Once rhythmic momentum is achieved you are simply spun round and round - a funny noise here, Byrne shouting something or other there - to no particular destination. If kids in the park could climb aboard there’d be vomit everywhere. If there is a sense that these tracks constantly escape being defined by the underlying banality of the musical architecture it’s only because the tracks end after 4 or 5 minutes. Am I just describing pop music though, and making Talking Heads accountable for sins that are generally winked at simply because TH had the audacity to do pop music a little differently? Sure, Once in a Lifetime sets up a successful four bar chorus (one in which each bar is almost identical to the last) and then beats you over the head with it, count em, 6 times in just over 4 minutes. But that’s just pop music isn’t it? Only this is ‘better’ because we credit the additional imaginativeness of its being Afrobeat through a New-Wave filter? Right? Probably. Pop music only better. But there is also the possibility that it’s Afrobeat only worse - none of the musical patience of a Fela Kuti track where the groove ebbs and flows in defined episodes over (very) long running times. Little room for any particular musician to express themselves. None of the lyrical purpose either. Byrne’s lyrics, like the music, are really just a carnival of fragments - superficial, no more than a childish bid for your momentary attention as you spin on Brian Eno’s magic roundabout. Anyway I am complaining a lot for something I am about to give a half-decent mark to. Sure nothing on Remain in Light actually moves me. The thrills aren’t that thrilling. The beauty isn’t particularly beautiful. But Remain in Light is distinctively itself; unmistakeable like a good logo. That’s more than half the battle in pop music or any kind of music. So here’s more than half the marks. 3/5

Fine, I feel reinforced in my ambivalence towards the talking heads.

really good, fun . 12/16/2025

Not my normal style of song, but surprisingly I did enjoy it and wold listen again in the future 👍

Love it

A bit odd, struggled to finish

Real good and funky. Favourites are: (In order) Fela’s Riff, Once in a Lifetime, Born under punches

Another band that is rightfully famous for their singles.

Really loved this album when it came out. Its hard to convey now how new and different this sounded in the moment. "Once in a Lifetime" is an all-timer, also some of the deeper tracks like "Crosseyed and Painless" and "Listening Wind" stand up really well today.

Heard Before: not in full Fav Tracks: Once in a Lifetime Would I Listen Again: very Likely I wasn't paying super close attention during this album listen. But I love Talking Heads so ill give this a strong 4. Rating: Strong 4

songs are too repetitive for my taste, I wouldn't listen to it every day or even every month. not sure I enjoy this album. I'm sure you could find some nice things about it but I'm not invested in music like that to enjoy the album to its potential.

Great album in general, not exactly my type of music but two songs landed in my playlist 😜

not listened to much talking head prior to this. really enjoyed the first 3-4 songs but then got distracted, but will definitely be revisiting.

indie rock must've come from somewhere i guess

C'était honnêtement pas si mal, je m'attendais à rien et c'est passé tout seul. Par contre vraiment les delux faut arrêter c'est juste chiant, au moins laisser la version original, à la limite les sons remastered ça va mais à chaque fois on a des albums à rallonge par rapport à l'original

Un peu trop experimental à mon goût

Good

pas trop mon style mais reste assez bien

Canon for a reason.

100%!!! Amazing album!

My first time listening to a Talking Heads album all the way through. It was fun and quirky but nothing really beyond that. Would probably give it 3.5/5 if I could but it will end up getting a 3/5 because I didn't think it was that good to warrant a 4.

Silly!

Weird, but better than the last I listened to. Gets an extra point for Once In A Lifetime, even though I originally thought the chorus was by Crowded House.

I probably preferred both of the other Talking Heads albums from this list. This one was great but I almost got lost in the repetitive, hypnotic grooves of every song and whilst I was completely engrossed in it, most of the tracks didn't have the overall capture that I got from previous releases.

Pretty weird but also pretty cool too

Gah I really want to like Talking Heads but they're just a bit odd for me. Found myself frowning a lot more at this than I smiled so there's your answer

Love the Heads, though there’s inevitably a point on every album where I kind of zone out. The songs turn into repetitive low-key chants and I wonder where the last four tracks went. Don’t misunderstand; they have multiple righteous bangers, they just don’t always cohere into a listenable whole like Stop Making Sense.

Don’t get me wrong this is a good album. I feel like it requires a very specific vibe and dictates the listening experience accordingly and stressed out of my mind trying to get a theater show up was likely not the vibe that Mr Byrne had in mind while putting this one together. I’ll have to give it a second listen when I’ve got nothing going on to give a real score. Instrumentally amazing, lyrically fun and interesting. It starts very same thing again and again and not changing dynamically. Once in a lifetime obviously sticks out as the hit but it’s guilty of the same thing. A lot of these songs just sit in the same dynamic for the whole 6 minute run time. I did listen to the deluxe to be fair, a lot longer and drawn out and like 4 more just the same thing for 6 minute songs. Super interesting, the deluxe has a demo of this must be the place with no lyrics and It really points out how much David Byrne brings to this thing. It’s just A-B-A-B-A-B-A-B forever but His vocals are what make it interesting. Again, the mood for this is super important. I’m at a high 3, realistically will listen again and give it a 4.

I guess this is what Fela Kuti would sound like if he was a bit crap. Don't get me wrong, this was pleasant enough to listen to, and the Brian Eno touches could be heard throughout. But it wasn't a patch on Fela Kuti, and I would never go out of my way to listen to this again. The big hit was overplayed to the point of becoming annoying, so there's that too I guess. Pleasant in parts, but aimless, and grew tiresome by the end. I'm kind of glad that I got a chance to listen to some Talking Heads, as I've often been told that they're amazing. But if this is their magnus opus, then they're definitely not for me. Two stars.

It was very cool! I loved the overall theme. It will be a playlist to play while getting ready

meh 2/5

i like like the music, will definitely look more into the band

LOVED IT!!!!!

Sure this is crazy, cool, experimental, unique, and sophisticated. But so were Bored Ape NFTs. Just because the album is all of these things, doesn’t make it a good listen. Maybe some day this will click for me, but for now it just feels like it’s too excessive in its pompous, yet nerdy chaos. Shout out Once in a Lifetime music video though

Masterful

Don’t know how I feel about the Talking Heads still after 2 albums now…

YES

Never heard of this album or the group before. The tracks were quite interesting but I don't think I will include them in my library.

Pretty repetive and boring, some good bass and guitar parts

One of my ALL TIME FAVES !!

I appreciate the talent of the Talking Heads but I can't get into their choppy vocal style.

Classic album and a great mix of sounds and influences

It was ok, it has the same as it ever was song, I’m not a huge fan of new wave stuff, though. Didn’t particularly speak to me

application of african circular song structure to western chorus/verse song structure. super fun, plenty of aux perc & synthesizers provide atmosphere. david byrne is talking about who the fuck knows what, but he delivers every line as if it carries overt meaning. this is disarming, and i love it.

Very surreal and dramatic with some spookiness. Like the high energy but where are the drops? 😞 This album made me tired.

Wow!! This was way ahead of its time! I would imagine a ton of rappers have samples them over the years. This sounded very different from their radio stuff / greatest hits. The rhythms were so unbelievably catchy. The music was so textured and interesting. I don't know how they would play it live. The first two tracks were 5 star, then Once in a Lifetime is one of my top 40 ALLTIME favorite songs.

Was worried about the alblum when I saw it come up. It was an interesting listen. It might have been the first time i listened to thier "non hit" songs.

This was a fun listen but not anything to write home about.

What a great album. So dense. So full of energy. So clever. Have listened before and listen to lots of the songs separately from the whole album, but I think the whole album sounds better than previous listens. Almost feels like a David lynch soundtrack, especially songs 6 to 8 - surprisingly moody.

Exceptional record, every song great. All unique but along the same theme, feels really cohesive without being dull. Worthy of the hype

Even with Once in a Lifetime, this does relatively little for me. It's not bad, but I just don't really want it.

Born Under Punches and Right Start are cool

Super weird album. It feels almost manic. Some true bangers like once in a lifetime. I like the song listening wind.

Great band. Not sure it's their best work.

One of my favourite albums of all time

1001 Albums Vol. 0017: Remain In Light ============================================================ Introduction: I just have no words for the unbelievable start I've gotten on this site. It truly is amazing how I'm not even twenty albums into a site that contains 1089 total and I've already generated three of my favorite albums of all time. This is another album where the final score will be absolutely no question. I've already heard this entire album front to back...I could just go ahead and rate it now....I won't. I'll listen to it anyway. I'm not complaining AT ALL. That aside, this legendary album was released way back in 1980 by Talking Heads, a group which had already made some pretty great stuff up until that point, but it wouldn't be until that year that they would release both their pinnacle and one of the pinnacles of music in general known as Remain In Light. What makes this album so great? Well, literally everything. I'll gloss it a bit more in the conclusion, but every positive descriptor that you can think of describes this album. Unique? Yes. Fun? Yes. Meaningful? Absolutely. Extremely influential? Without a doubt. It hits all the marks to be a perfect masterpiece. Like many masterpieces, critics would go on to hail it as a great album, a really great album. That being said, this is the first time I've seen an album actually get praise from an official government agency. Nearly forty years after this album's release, it would be inaugurated into the National Recording Registry in the United States. I could have stated that fact alone and just let it speak for itself in the intro. It should go without saying, but that is absolutely insane. Anyway, all that filler aside, I really don't have much else to say that won't just spoil the need for a conclusion, so I'm going to make this intro kinda short and just get into this thing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track 1: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) Score: 11/10 Track 2: Crosseyed and Painless Score: 11/10 Track 3: The Great Curve Score: 11/10 Track 4: Once in a Lifetime Score: 11/10 Track 5: Houses in Motion Score: 11/10 Track 6: Seen and Not Seen Score: 10/10 Track 7: Listening Wind Score: 11/10 Track 8: The Overload Score: 10/10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conclusion: And that ends one of the best albums of all time and my new personal favorite that I've generated from this site. It's amazing how Kid A didn't even last ten albums before it became overthrown and Disintegration lasted even less than that. Seriously, this site is just storing junk somewhere and I am in need of seeing it. Anyway, that aside, this album is like no other that I have ever heard. To this day it is still a collection of eight songs that are yet to be replicated...with the exception of The Overload, but that was kind of intentional on Talking Heads' part. No hate there. It is an immersive, cohesive, unique, and overall non recreatable album. It's something that people would hate if someone were to try and make again because people would just say that this "new album" is just a blatant copy of Remain In Light. Something of this level and sound is truly one-of-a-kind. Now, what makes this album so unique? As I said in the intro, literally everything. The fun and fast-paced beats of the first half, the production of the album as a whole, and even just the lyrics are something that only David Byrne could write. The instrumentation on this album is phenomenal in every way. It is absolutely flawless. The execution of instrumentation is so...tight, I guess, on most songs. The instrumentation feels almost robotic in a way. It's not and that's the incredible thing. You can just tell that these songs were practiced to death in literally the first few seconds of Born Under Punches. That alone creates such an already unique experience, but every other aspect manages to elevate it's uniqueness even more. The perfect production is a prime example of this. Literally every moment on this album feels perfect from a production standpoint. Guitars reverberate for just the right amount of time, volume of instrumentation increases and decreases, particularly in later songs, perfectly, and the vocals are perfectly layered with the instruments. Talking Heads really, really did make a great decision hiring Brian Eno as their producer. This album would not have been what it was without that man's perfect production. It would have still been a masterpiece, but not a god-like masterpiece. Anyway, that aside, this album is just as lyrically perfect as it is perfect in every other aspect. There are a few songs that have obvious meanings towards the end of the album, but most of the album is up to heavy, HEAVY amounts of interpretation for the most part. Hell, there are people still speculating on what Houses in Motions even means to this day. Most songs can have whatever meaning you want. All of them, however, have that nerdy tone that you would only hear from Talking Heads. David Byrne using water as a metaphor in Once in a Lifetime is seriously one of the most nerdy things I have ever heard, but I still love it. Speaking of that song, Once in a Lifetime is literally one of the best songs of all time. No doubt about it. It is a very high 11 for me, and that's coming from someone who really shouldn't feel all that moved by such a song yet. I still have plenty of life to go...well, that's assuming I die naturally but that's beside the point. It's a masterpiece just like every other song on the album. I mean, it really is impressive that these songs are so good. The first four songs on this album, especially Born Under and The Great Curve are really, really chaotic in terms of their music. The amount of layering of vocals, unique guitar solos, and overlaying instrumentation is honestly insane. This mellows down in the second half of the album. In fact, the tone of the second half of the album almost becomes psychedelic in a way. All of this culminates in the depressing closure of The Overload. It's great, every part of it. I couldn't recommend it enough. I know some people may not like it because of the chaotic song structure and because of how much is going on, but they're just weird. I have to say it. This album is a masterpiece, my new favorite that I have pulled from this site. Again, it's insane how this keeps happening. I generate one of the best albums of all time, thinking it's going to reign as my favorite for a while, but then less than ten albums later I generate a new best. The gap of stuff that can and eventually will be at my top has become so incredibly small that I truly believe that this album will rule supreme for a pretty long time. We're already at the point where I'd say that less than ten albums can top this. Anyway, like I said, the album is beyond perfect. It's a god-like masterpiece. It changed music forever, even the government thinks so. It's perfect in every way possible. It gets my third 11/10. ============================================================ Remain In Light Score: 11/10 Song Average: 10.8/10

Please let this be the last talking heads album I get. There are wayyyy too many on this list

Decent 4,5

There is WATER💧 at the bottom of the OCEAN 🌊

I watched Stop Making Sense for the first time during Covid and immediately understood the genius of David Byrne. I see him as a true artist in every sense of the word, someone who follows his own instincts and trusts his creative gut over all else. I could listen to that opening piano/bass/guitar riff of Once in a Lifetime on a loop over and over. This is probably their best album, and I respect the shit out of the decision to end it with a song like The Overload.

Upbeat and funky at times, being under 40 minutes helped with the 4 star rating

Talking heads is so much fun to listen to, you kinda never know what to expect from the next track. Their quirkiness and sometimes silly stuff has really grown on me over the years. This album has a little bit of a lot different vibes, which in itself feels on brand.

This is probably the best Talking Heads album, and it might also be my favorite. Experimental, dance-y, funky, Afro-beat inspired and still uniquely them. Singles are great but also no filler. “Crosseyed and Painless” is such an awesome song…. “Facts all come with points of view, facts don’t do what i want them to”.

Had to shut it off on track two. Definitely not for me!

To me this album is what anxiety feels like. Very chaotic, nervous energy and just a lot going on at once. This is my second Talking Heads album and I'm still not big fan of David Byrne's voice. There were some good grooves and bass playing on this album. I’d give this a 2.5 but in rounding down to 2.

Strong album. Not sure why it doesn't quite fit to a 5 for me.

A classic

Remain in Light is an unusual album, the 3rd and last to be produced by Brian Eno. More or less consistently, there are no chord progressions or development of any kind within each song. Rather, a groove is established and maintained, a patterned background onto which melody and lyrics are placed. The music is compelling without the sense of progression. I like it a lot, though it's not my favourite of theirs.

On Remain in Light Talking Heads produce something that captures the feel of spontaneous creativity and the magic of the first draft, without compromising on perfect arrangements of meticulously developed sound beds. The vibe is loosey-goosey but the performances are tight and expertly judged. The chaos is all -planned. Their sound is a world away from their first two albums, embracing something far more abstract and ethereal. Its unprecedentedly atmospheric arrangements of noise which act as a poppy, angular backdrop for David Byrne to pour his stream of consciousness vocals into - a perfect match. Given how popular this album is you'd expect there to be copycat bands pilfering these rich ideas for inspiration, but artists are not doing this because its incredibly challenging music to write and very difficult to copy. Remain in Light is a rare beast and one of the best albums ever made.

Today’s Talking Heads record is my favourite of theirs and a solid 5, I think they do everything they do well here better than anywhere else and the whole product is consistently excellent

I clearly haven't given them enough time for god only knows why.

I don't like Talikg Heads. Period. Nothing against who does ;)

More Talking Heads......

01) Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - 8,0 02) Crosseyed and Painless - 8,0 03) The Great Curve - 8,0 04) Once in a Lifetime - 10,0 05) Houses in Motion - 8,0 06) Seen and Not Seen - 7,5 07) Listening Wind - 8,5 08) The Overload - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,25 (83/100) Current ranking: 177/747

I can see the artistry behind this project and understand why it has received the acclaim that it has, but I was not in the mood to really hear something like this today. I'm sitting more on a 3.5 for this one, but I'm not in the mood to bump it up to 4.

Once in a Lifetime is good, but prophetic.

Not really my fit. I mean, there were some good songs in the album, but overall I wasn't feeling it. Just felt like I needed to push through to get it over with.

#193/1001. Wtf happened to the site ui? Not good. The weird thing about the Talking Heads is, that the first time you listen to one of their albums, you notice the hit song(s) and the rest remain more or less unnoticed. The more you listen to the album though, the more the other songs pop out, and the hit song - well, still is a hit song. I have owned this album for a long, long time, but still now that I listened to it for this project, it felt like I had never listened to it before, and it is full of excellency. Then I’m also sure I will forget these songs again. Perhaps it is like a suit that changes size slowly - although my experience is that clothes shrink instead of grow over time. I wonder if that will happen to the other Talking Heads albums in this list…songs grow and shrink in their greatness…

Good grooves as always , some songs too repetitive with abrasive noises like b52 style

3 Stars (8/15)

Weird funky little album.

Klassiske låter

Is there any band that sounds more neurotic than Talking Heads? Some music is drug music, others are beer songs, but this reminds me of caffeine music. Hyper and nervous. I find Once in a Lifetime stands out not just for being a hit, but being structured like a pop song. The rest of the songs have a formula: start with nervy groove, add opaque lyrics, then dissonant guitar solo. I like it but it does sound samey after a while.

First full, front-to-back listen of a Talking Heads album, and immediately dug the sonic style and approach. My limited familiarity with Talking Heads was of them as a rock band but the blend of electronic (thanks, Brian Eno) and unique international sounds I couldn't immediately identify (a quick trip to Wikipedia revealed influence from African polyrhythms and specifically from Fela Kuti - all tracks in retrospect) kept me constantly engaged and intrigued. I didn't sit with the lyrics open as I listened, but I vaguely followed the somewhat stream-of-conscious vocals of David Byrne - reading through a few songs would be worthwhile at some point.

You can really hear the Fela Kuti influences with the staccato guitar riffs, and looping percussion. Its enjoyable! But makes want to listen to more Fela instead. Even the vocals on the very first track feel like the typical call and response fond in Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian jazz. Maybe I'm biased. This isn't to say someone from a cominant culture can never be inspired. Byrne and Eno were very loud and public about wher thir influnces came from, and gave credit where it was due. I guess I'm moreso reacting to how the grater public recives music like this. It typcally never leads to deeper investigation of the source or the continent, and stays a footnote in someone elses journey. I did like the way the influences were transformed, Its groovy, well produced, very bright. It works. It shouldn't be downplayed the difficulty in hearing something you like, and being able to mimic it without outright copying. I enjoyed it, there's just a feeling in the back of my mind.....

Like the coolest mixtape you ever owned.

Spectacular. One of my favourites.

A brilliant blend of Fela Kuti afro-pop, Brian Eno production (and songwriting credit), great backing players like Adrian Belew, and David Byrne at his Byrniest...there's nothing like Remain in Light. In four years to go from Talking Heads 77 to this album is mind boggling. Eno had a lot to do with it but the four members matured in songwriting and created songs from jamming together that formed the basis for these songs. I discovered this album later as I first came to love them with Speaking in Tongues and Stop Making Sense. Remain in Light is the album that led to their breakthrough. Listening again, the standouts for me are "The Great Curve," " Houses in Motion," and "Listening Wind." Not enough superlatives in the world for this album.

One of those albums i could just listen to forever. Unlike a lot of Talking Heads albums, I struggle to remember/mix up some of the names of songs on this album, and i think thats down to how fantastic the continuity is. The songs blend together in the best way, listening is like being in a flow state, with the hypnotic grooves and odd guitar tones. My favorites are probably Born Under Punches and the very underrated, spooky, Listening Wind, but almost everything is essential. Ive never been too crazy about The Overload but even that one starts to grow on you after awhile

I'm floored by how much better this is than the other Talking Heads records I've heard. Talking Heads 77, Fear Of Music, and More Songs About Buildings And Food all got nothing on this. And sure, most of these 5 stars come from Once in a Lifetime, but the rest of the album packs a real punch too (nudge, nudge). Especially with headphones. I love the interacting guitar lines in Born Under Punches. They're so fast, peppy, slick. And dirty at the same time. I appreciate that Byrne isn't trying too hard to pass off his singing as competent, instead adopting a sort of ad-lib expressive talking, as well as using vocal harmonies in some places. Towards the end of the song, the band really keys in on overlapping vocals in the second half. (Dang. This is a great piece of music.) Am I right to think this counts as world-inspired music? Some of the unusual vocal tendencies, and the light, varied percussion, remind me of Fela Kuti's Zombie record. But I enjoy this significantly more. Crosseyed and Painless makes it clear that the band's committing to that twangy, distorted bass sound that was a staple of the disco and post-disco genre. It sounds fantastic though. That repeating line "Stilllll waiting", combined with all the other overlapping elements... there's so much to focus on. The highlight of The Great Curve is the instrumental in the middle, which combines the ubiquitous rapid guitar riff with some solid horn hits (sounding suspiciously like those orchestra hits you can get on keyboards, but I'm sure they're legitimate here) and a very odd guitar solo. The backing vocals – especially "So say so, so say so" – again do wonders here. No idea what's going on in Once in a Lifetime. I assume those are keyboards... and Byrne yelling about my beautiful wife... and some odd percussion and bass. The chorus is very recognisable. Combined with that wacky, ethereal keyboard part, the chorus really lifts the song above the rest of the album. It's so, so good. Goddamn. Houses in Motion is the "bacteria music" of the album, but I still enjoy it. Seen and Not Seen flashes by quickly, and seems to be mostly a glitzy keyboard jam session alongside Byrne calmly talking about facial structure. Listening Wind has a fun chorus melody, and an echoey, sort of arcade-esque synth line that complements it well. Before listening to The Overload, I was apprehensive because it has so few streams on Spotify compared to the other tracks. But it's just as strong as most of the other tracks. Dark, slow, psychedelic, and I enjoy the low drone that stops the track from sounding too desolate. 5/5 Key tracks: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless, Once in a Lifetime

Mixed view on this. Most of the album is catchy but dull. Obviously the well known standout track is what sold this album in numbers...

I really like them but this isn’t my fave album…

Didn’t enjoy it.

vad i fanvete det svänger ju!

Entrancing work! If David Byrne would be a teenager now, he would be a total memelord. A whole album is a little too much for me though

Some really cool arrangements on this album, blending synth and traditional rock instruments. These guys are great at playing music and production, but the vocal style began to wear thin on me as the tracks went along. I’d definitely be interested to hear if their sound evolves at all on later albums. 3/5

A side is absolute banger, B side brings it down to a 4*. There's so much going on with this album and it's all good.

Such a huge step up on the last record we got in the challenge (the Buildings and Food one). The production is so dense and rich, the band is so much funkier and has picked up good influences - love the Fela Kuti-esque rhythms here. David Byrne's vocals, lyrics and delivery mesh so much better into the sound of the band. Definitely a fan of this one

Not for me. The songs do grow on you after awhile: they need a minute to get into the groove. Best tracks IMO are Crosseyed and Painless, and The Great Curve.

𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 thrives on its dense, interlocking polyrhythms. The album layers guitars, bass, keyboards and percussion in repeating patterns that continuously shift, overlap and evolve, creating a hypnotic sense of motion. Instead of traditional verse–chorus structures, the music builds gradually, adding new rhythmic and textural elements until each track becomes almost trance-like. What makes it compelling is how the grooves feel both mechanical and organic — tight enough to sound engineered, yet fluid enough to feel alive. The influence of West African rhythmic concepts is clear, but they’re reinterpreted through a distinctly art-rock perspective, resulting in music that’s experimental without losing its sense of momentum and drive. It’s an album that stays engaging because the further you listen into a track, the more there is happening. The complexity never overwhelms; it pulls the listener deeper. A rare case where intellectual and physical energy work perfectly together.

Very good

Thought this was great - if a little anonymous in places

Better than expected, just not a fan. Liked how the second half was a little moodier

Not my thing, really, but still a fun album.

You may ask yourself, “What other band sounded like this in 1980?” For a band that was already expanding their sound on each new album, Talking Heads’ fourth studio album was still a huge leap forward. They added many new layers here, both philosophically, lyrically, and musically. While I most enjoy the sheer energy and punchiness of other albums, this is a great achievement. Favorite songs: The Great Curve because it’s such a great groove; and Listening Wind, because it’s such a great story. Song Credits Where Credits Due: Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth write in their autobiography that the band nearly broke up over David Byrne’s waywardness / solo projects, but they coaxed him back into the studio by the jams that laid the foundation of this album. Don’t undervalue the rhythm section here!

This is an experience album. And while "Once in a Lifetime" is an incredible song and standout hit, most of this album is just worth the experience. There are groves, jams, and sometimes unintelligible lyrics, but the brilliance of the band is that it just works. I am not sure how much I remember of the album, I just know that when you listen, it all comes together thematically, sonically, tonally, etc. "You may find yourself listening to another talking heads album, and you may ask yourself..."

Near perfect.

Masterpiece!!!

Such a unique sound its difficult to categorise but not one skippable track on here.

Great album, although after listening (or attempting to listen) to several Talking Heads albums, I think they're more of a greatest hits band for me. Born Under Punches was pretty great Once in a Lifetown obvs 10/10 Houses in Motion was decent Listening Wind was my favourite discovery

Anxiety

Spet mam fajn streak - med pando sem velik preposlušala Speaking In Tongues, ne pa ta album! Fajn funky začetek z "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)". "Crosseyed and Painless" mi je bil zmer všeč. Kombinacija tega hitrega ritma s počasnim, zategnjenim petjem mi je ful zanimiva. Prou noro je kako hitr je percussion, tud v naslednjem komadu ("The Great Curve"). Po pa sam en boljših komadov to exist, "Once in a Lifetime". Fak, ker dobr bass line. Morm rewatchat Stop Making Sense. Ta polovica albuma ja mal bl chill. Začetek zadnjega komada ("The Overload" je kr epski. Zanimiv je kako je album iz brutalno hitrih ritmov na koncu pristal v najbl mirnem, mal temačnem vzdušju.

David Byrne joy and Brian Eno weird.

(100/100)

Love me some talking heads

Ok maybe my brother is onto something.

Talking Heads are one of those bands whose music I did not know well beyond their hits. I've found that in some of these cases, the rest of the band's catalog tends to be different in an interesting and sometimes better way. This is not one of those times... I found this album grating and almost too experimental for its own good.

listened to the whole album, one or two famous songs, all in all - 3/5

A weird one for sure. Glad I listened, unlikely that I listen again.

Talking Heads at the height of their prime. Coupled with the legendary Brian Eno producing for them, this album is a juggernaut of New Wave and 80s music. The first 5 songs are such a fantastic experience, not to downplay the dark and mysterious sonic intrigue of the last 3 songs. Once in a Lifetime is legendary amongst their catalogue and has come back time and again into the pop zeitgeist in one way or another. The energy of Crosseyed and Painless is fantastic, I especially can't recommend the Stop Making Sense version enough (honestly, go listen to Stop Making Sense, too. Absolutely phenomenal). My personal favorite here is The Great Curve. Frantic, energetic rhythms overlaid with layers of vocals and guitar and synth work that really raises the whole experience. Around the 4 minute mark to the end when the whole thing becomes a wall of multiple different backing vocal lines on top of the instruments followed by the outro guitar solo is so good.

Always a pleasure

Superb, but not perfect. Close. 4.5/5

it was an interesting vibe

Couple memorable songs but overall a slow listen. Houses In Motion had good funk until the whimpering horns ruined it.

Pretty good. A little long and repetitive. Not as into the unfinished tracks at the end.

some pretty good grooves but a lot of the songs are frantic and make me anxious

One of the tightest albums ever. Polyrhythms! The mood shifts with each song, perfectly laid out.

quite fun album that i would listen to again. fun sounds coming from this group.

For an album listed as a top 100 of all time, i'm not sure. Yes, some fantastic grooves and interesting tracks, but as a whole it would be down on my list. I'll listen again and maybe I can find that collective album spark.

I feel like I can imagine most of these songs as physical textures. The talking heads synthetically gave me synesthesia 😍. Anyways I liked this album a lot it’s super interesting to listen to. I like other talking heads albums a little more probably, but this is still pretty sick. Fav songs: once in a lifetime, the overload

Brian Eno, David Bryne and their amazing friends

stone cold classic

Enjoyable enough, but I'd be fine not hearing this again. Somehow many of the songs seem to start very strong but fade each minute.

The percussion was solid, kept this from falling to 2-star territory

Meh

Great Album. Talking HEads is always a great listen.

I love Talking Heads. This is not my favorite album of theirs, but I think my blinding love for them distorts my objectivity.

masterpeça

Some innovative beats for the time that are repeated throughout the album

My father in law is a massive Talking Heads fan. He’s fortunate enough to have met Brian Eno, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth thanks to working in the music industry. He used to play Once in a Lifetime to my eldest when he used to look after him. At that time, I was fond of Talking Heads and the songs I knew but it wasn’t until the re-release of Stop Making Sense a few years ago that I started becoming more interested. Seeing the advert, seeing the clips, seeing the energy on stage, literally running around and then of course, the unusual David Byrne dancing, and that suit! I couldn’t help but laugh but at the same time I was mesmerised. At the time, the original was included in Prime Video so decided to watch it, I got to know the songs and then it started to become an obsession. The live arrangements of their music in this show, for me, still surpass much of what is on their studio albums, but there was far more treasure to be found on the studio albums, and to a certain extent, I’m still getting to know all of their 8 studio albums. Remain in Light is widely regarded as their magnum opus and the more I have listened, the more I’m inclined to agree. They close Stop Making Sense with one of my favourites here, Crosseyed and Painless, which just gets better and better with each listen and is proving rather prescient with lyrics about facts and the twisting of the truth. The Afro beat and rhythmic arrangements of the first half of this album in particular, are wonderful. The Great Curve is an absolute gem, and as for Once in a Lifetime, it’s a song that I found to be far better than I ever realised, and I always liked it. The second half of the album is much more spacious and downbeat, with the closer, The Overload, seemingly an ode to Joy Division.

Feeling generous, high 3

The Talking Heads have some great moments, but they delve too much into prolonged jammy-weirdness for me to really get into them. Solid ...

I don't have much to say about this beyond that it made me realize how unfamiliar I am with the Talking Heads discography. Turns out I've listened to My Life In the Bush of Ghosts a lot more than any TH album, except maybe Stop Making Sense. Anyway, I like it well enough.

I’m a big fan of the record, even if the party kind of stops after the first half. I like the contemplative and atmospheric second half, even though it doesn’t have a Crosseyed and Painless or Once in a Lifetime. When I think of this album, I now think of this Onion article which, ummm, hit home. I have this album on vinyl and I’m pretty sure I’ve made my daughter listen to it. https://theonion.com/cool-dad-raising-daughter-on-media-that-will-put-her-en-1819572981/

Except for once in a lifetime, I find this boring. Many of the songs have a cool sound or groove, but then repeat it monotonously for way too long.

4/5 - The front half of this album is really outstanding. Crosseyed and Painless is one of my favorites. Adrian Belew’s guitar work is really really good. Overall, I just love the soundscape the band explores here and how many bands this influenced in the early 2000s indie scene that I really appreciate.

Son los de psycho killer!¡ no lo sabía he escuchado muuuuu poco pero lo que he escuchado me ha gustado mucho, les doy un 6,5 sinceramente pero podría haber aumentado si hubiera esuchado más

I enjoyed this way more than my last talking heads album. Grovey, energetic and I could actually tell the songs apart!

Sometimes with this project I ask myself, "Well, how did I get here?" But then sometimes I get a great album by a band I've never really paid attention to, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Saved by the back half, would have been a 2. I like it when they get atmospheric

reminds me a bit of Dace Matthews Band but maybe not? I feel like I know Talking Heads songs but don’t know which. This has definitely been an influence for other bands.

Quite funky which I'd forgotten about it. Another outstanding Talking Heads release. Favorite track: Crosseyed and Painless

Cool, zaney, funky, progressive and yet not all that cohesive. Maybe that was the intent to be so far forward pushing that it loses melodic value and compositional skills. But, not all that bad. Fela's riff was super melodic and Once in a life time from this album. But the rest felt like non specific nu wave jam filler. And thats okay, I know im critical but some gen xers really built their lives around it.

Once in a lifetime

Absolutely essential.

Knew of this band for Once in a Lifetime and a couple other hits, but can’t say I cared for this album much more than that. It was interesting to read about the Fela Kuti influence as I reviewed an album of his just recently, but as for this one I don’t plan to revisit again.

This album captures the frantic energy of sitting in a basement looking at dirt under a microscope wondering if the heavy winds will send a tree through your window.

Yeah, 4 for Once in a lifetime. It’s not my groove but they were influential at the time.

++*: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), The Great Curve, Once in a Lifetime ++: Crosseyed and Painless, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen, Listening Wind, The Overload 9,9/10

I love this album, each song sounds like a totally unique musical journey! I know Once In A Lifetime is the big hit song, but The Great Curve is definitely my favorite. The intricacies and complexity of how the different parts of the band blend together is truly one of a kind.

I like this and when someone asks me what kind of music I like sometimes I say, goth, punk, funk, psych and world music. I think of this as world music. Listening Wind Is my jam. I think of it like world music. I wonder sometimes if Eno wasn’t on the albums that he was would they have gone a different direction. Who really cares. Talking Heads really has something for everyone.

"Once in a Lifetime", "Cross-eyed and Painless", and "Houses in motion" are some tops. Fun Talking Heads.

It’s not my jam.

Este projeto é super competente -- sobretudo na sua musicalidade -- e é compreensível que seja lembrado como um dos melhores da sua época.

Just like the other Talking Heads albums on this list, I find this a borderline excruciating listen. It just pushes all the wrong buttons. Once in a Lifetime is not that bad though, especially in the context of the rest of the album, so 2 stars.

Didn't finish. Kind of boring, but I can imagine this being super cool while coked out in the early 80's.

I enjoyed some of the new sounds they experimented with but overall I thought the album was just so-so.

One of the ebst front sides of an album ever, second half was slower than I remember so maybe not a best ever contender as I might have previously had it. Still undeniable

perfect album

Cerramos definitivamente octubre con mi disco favorito de Talking Heads, el cual he escuchado incontables veces y al que cada cierto tiempo vuelvo y le encuentro algo nuevo, distinto en su propuesta sonora y artística. Me lleva a momentos felices pero siento que el disco no se agota ni tampoco mis sentimientos para con él y las ganas de bailar y de meterme en mí que me dan. Creo que estoy en mi época post-punk/gótica/new wave y que esta época durará mucho tiempo más. Sin más que agregar que la alegría que me da éste disco, me despido hasta el lunes, ya con noviembre entre nosotros, gente. Buen finde.

This was not too bad.

I didn’t hate but didn’t love it

I officially love the talking heads thanks to this album journey.

I generally don't like this type of music and the project is definitely oversaturated with the like. Alas, this album was cool. Which proves my point about music. Every genre can be cool, you just need to hear the right band play it.

I have seen every pretentious music bitch in the world post this album art at some point so I assume it's like a big deal or something Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On): sploinky. I can't think of a single direct comparison for what this sounds like, really really interesting. not sure if I like it but it's worming its way into my brain the longer it goes on *Crosseyed and Painless: this one rips. dropped 45 years ago and still sounds fresh. I can hear the fingerprints of this in like every modern day British post-punk song I've ever heard *The Great Curve: they are grooving the fuck out for real. really digging how a lot of these songs aren't immediate for me, they don't start clicking until I let it ride for a bit. songs like that tend to have more longevity for me. they are still grooving the fuck out Once In A Lifetime: oh my god this is the "this is not my beautiful wife" song. and the "same as it ever was" song. single-handedly feeding the tumblr ecosystem. it's just okay though *Houses in Motion: love how restrained is is. it feels like a song you would have the instinct to go Big with but they kept it dialed back the whole way through. super funky, bassline is bananas *Seen and Not Seen: such a dope soundscape Listening Wind: I've never heard anything that sounds quite like this. I was hooked at the start but it didn't go anywhere *The Overload: glooooooomy. again doesn't go much of anywhere but it has such a cool atmosphere I didn't mind just hangin with that for six minutes cool cool stuff. it seems like an album that I'd need to run back a few times to really know how I feel about it, but I get why people hype it. this came out in 1980 and it still sounds innovative and boundary-pushing to me in 2025, that's crazy impressive. there's a couple songs on here that I think are gonna get a lot of play from me __ SCORE: 8/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Crosseyed and Painless, The Great Curve, Houses in Motion, Seen and Not Seen, The Overload

I've listened to "Remain in Light" multiple tines and thought it was just ok -- despite it's reputation on the internet music space. But sitting down to really focus on the music and lyrics did reveal its brilliance: mystical, groovy, and funny.

Once In a Lifetime is the big radio hit.

Pretty boring, didn’t get much out of this one. 2.25/5

A good album, not personally my taste

This is surprisingly great. Even more so when you realize it was released in 1980.The first several songs I was thinking this was definitely something that I could put on rotation, but I think it slows a bit at the end. It ultimately doesn't attain the upper reaches of a 5 star rating, but it's very good, very influential, and it is one of the increasingly rare albums that I can completely understand why it was chosen for this project.

Just spooky enough for Halloween week.

Highlight songs: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) Crosseyed and Painless The Great Curve Once In a Lifetime Houses in Motion Seen and Not Seen Listening Wind The Overload

They've got a couple of recognisable classics, but I found the rest kinda un-memorable.

Such an amazing album. Keeping the same basic rhythm on the songs and then doing weird stuff over it. Not a very technical explanation but that’s how these songs work! A masterpiece.

Some songs were nice, some others not, thats it for today

I suppose this album is nice. Some songs are good. However, others are bland. I have a mixed opinion on this one. I felt interesting some parts, but I don't like how the album has been developed sometimes. It's not bad, though, but it's not something that I would highlight either.

Liked this more than I expected to "frog rock"

Love it but again not the album I was expecting in the list.

This album has always been the ALBUM people should listen to. truly an outstanding album.

This album is a bit of a tale of two sides. I found the second side to be interesting at points and dull at others, but the first side - WOW. The first four songs paint an incredible picture of disorientation and disconnection in the modern world, sort of a thematic precursor to OK Computer. More than anything though, the rhythm section, and especially the percussion, create a driving energy to these songs that I absolutely loved. The second half of the album was a detour from the energy that was established in the first half, and for that reason, this isn't a perfect album for me. But I really can't get enough of the first side, hence the 5 star rating.

I bet another 5. Yep. Great album.

Once in a Lifetime is such an all time classic it overshadows everything else on the album. On first listen not much else jumped out at me and I found the 80's bass twang and David Byrnes vocals annoying. On repeat listens it did grow on me - but I did not love it - other than Once in a Lifetime.

Really enjoyed this. Talking Heads have produced some excellent songs (This Must Be the Place, Road to Nowhere as two absolute classics) but hadn't listened to this album before. Was half expecting something very arty and pretentious. Instead we get a great accessible, rhythmical, funky album. Worthy inclusion.

Great album, forgot how wonderful the first song is. Some of the other tracks drag, especially the last one, but this is a strong 4 or weak 5. My parents didn’t have this on CD (at least as I recall) so this one has always been less familiar to me.

Funky, weird, fun. Once In A Lifetime is a masterpiece. Man I love this band.

Not bad

The USA goes for another Great Band. There’s some great stuff. And Byrne is a hero to most but he doesn’t mean shit to me. Rude motherfucker who tries to hide behind undiagnosed autism. You get cold unemotional music saved by a terrific band - Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison and Chris Franz. Like the UKs Attractions far more deserving of a better songwriter and leader. None the less this is essential listening.

Lost my shape. This record hits, it rolls, it pulls you in and then chucks back out, no rope required. What do we love in rock and roll? Something going wrong. Here the foursome are finally hitting each other over what they are and what they think they are. And on top of that Eno's in the room. Always knows when to turn up, at exactly the wrong time, to shake things up does Brian. And it worked. Jerry owns this record, his guitar work is a key feature here, he's got Andy Gill in there with Carlos Alomar. Chris and Tina hit their groove and David is completely off his face. It's so good. This was a HSC record for me, exam prep soundtrack. And I forever associate it with Jim Beam bourbon as I was busy staring at the spinning night sky at one of my end of year parties while Cross Eyed and Painless did its thing. I'm still waiting, fuck yeah!

I remember exactly when and where I first heard Remain In Light. I was on a year 9 Australian history excursion to Elizabeth Farm (of which I remember very little) in 1985. Afterwards some school mates and I were walking back to Granville Station to catch the train home, and Michael J. gave me his Walkman and said “here, listen to this” and hit play on side one of Remain In Light. I was shocked. Stop Making Sense had been a big release the previous year, so I knew who Talking Heads were, but _this_ was a revelation. I had never heard anything like it before; I had certainly not been exposed to Afrobeat before. The interlocking polyrhythms and layered sounds just fit into a niche in my brain like very little has before or since. I didn’t have much money to buy albums, but I found a copy in the bargain bin of the Ashfield K-Mart, and I bought it and played it a million times. I still find this whole album fresh and funky and surprising, and it still fits the grooves in my brain perfectly. I can’t even begin to think about how many times I have played this record, and I still find it perfect. Clearly strongly influenced by Fela Kuti (who I didn’t discover until decades later), I think this manages to sit on the right side of the “inspired by/”appropriated from” boundary. It brings something new and different that is respectful of African music and musicians without simply copying and cashing in. It is also interesting to see what Talking Heads could achieve when Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were leading the direction in a more collaborative fashion (instead of David Byrne’s more controlling mode, aided and abetted by Brian Eno). I understand why they were pissed when Byrne claimed credit for the songwriting – their fingerprints are all over this record. How do you measure your favourite album ever? The record that moves you most, the record that changed your life, the one that you could happily play every day without getting sick of it? Well, Remain in Light ticks all those boxes for me. While some records might come in and out of favour, Remain In Light has been a Top Five All-Time record for me on any day of the past forty years. (I also enjoy Angelique Kidjo’s more recent cover of the entire album for fresh perspective on the material.) Fifty bazillion stars.

Fängt relativ langweilig an, macht aber ab der Mitte richtig Laune. Das schön im Cabrio hören und dabei Capri Eis lutschen.

Die repetitiven Elemente nutzen sich mit der Zeit etwas ab, aber „Once In A Lifetime“ bleibt ein absoluter Banger und ist das Highlight des Albums.

Absoluter Klassiker. Kenne nichts Vergleichbares zu dieser weirden Funkyness. Das letzte Drittel ist für mich immer etwas abgefallen, aber hat mich jetzt auch endgültig abgeholt (nur "Seen and Not Seen" verstehe ich weiterhin nicht ganz). Auch großartige Texte.

Ist viel dahin geplätschert. Grundsätzlich groovy, aber kam insgesamt irgendwie nicht bei mir an.

Mochte ich. Guter Sound.

Abwechslungsreiches Album, das einfach nur Spaß macht.

Habe erschreckend viele Songs schon gekannt, das war mir so gar nicht bewusst. Wird auf Albumlänge etwas repetitiv

3.5 stars

Could probably become a 5 star with more listens.

Interesting, rather than wonderful. A real change compared to so many albums, and Once In A Lifetime is an undeniable classic. A few other tracks have interesting ideas and melodies, but they don't stick in the memory or inspire as much as the others. Still, you can see how mindblowing it would have been at the time. A very low 4 / high 3

The Talking Heads are legends. This album, and their entire discography, will keep influencing music for decades to come. Brilliant, innovative, experimental, inspired and genre-defying.

It’s fine. I get why it’s important but they have much better albums.

7/10 Favorite: The Great Curve

This music has the X factor. I was interested in hearing the next track, but I don't think I'd have it on repeat. 3.8.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

High song quality throughout.

I feel like I need to listen to this even more, but this is a cool album. There's something alluring about it! I'm kinda addicted to the chorus of Houses in Motion. No trouble at all

FUCK YES. This shit is what it's all about - boppable, funky, and weird all in equal measure, to glorious effect. David Byrne my autistic king.

Same as it ever was

Wonderfully weird. The rhythms here kind of blew my mind?? They have a way of digging into your ear with one groove and leave you headbopping, wanting more after 6 minutes. The back half is more spacey and meditative, a big departure from the rest of the album to be sure but I appreciate the variety in moods. It's the front half that carries this straight to 5 though, the energy is just so gooooooood!! Shoutout to Tina Weymouth, I had to look her up because these basslines are absolutely bangin. Standouts: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) • Crosseyed and Painless • The Great Curve • Listening Wind

I feel really weird about this album because I definitely like and appreciate it, but I have never in my entire life said "I'm going to sit down and listen to Talking Heads." Not sure why. I appreciate it from a distance but it has no staying power in my life. I think theyre missing something small and I don't know what it is.

7.5/10

Really liked this album especially house in motion

Solid 4. Very funky and groovy. Felt like you’re stuck in a rhythmic whirlwind while someone recounts their dreams to you. Interesting to get this right after their debut - I think I like ‘77 a bit more?

Duh

The back half of this falls off a bit for me and I really think that some of these songs are better on Stop Making Sense. That being said, the inclusion of Once In A Lifetime alone makes this album one of the best

Great album

Perfect weirdo but still insanely accessible rock album. See the live "Stop Making Sense" film for a crazy experience of many songs from this album and just the band generally. Appreciate the weird recording process and left field instrument choices/crazy rhythms. Perfect

Classic 80’s rock

Overall a great album from a great era. Groovy music although some of the songs I found to be rather monotonous and repetitive. Born under Punches and Once in a Lifetime are highlights.

Love it. Byrne has such a unique style it’s hard to miss. First time sitting down with this record.

I vacillate between annoying & genius when I listen to the Talking Heads. What is going on inside David Byrne’s head? Can music be both repetitive and surprising? That’s my reaction listening to this one. Some gems for sure. The beats mixed the droning unmistakable Byrne vocals. The music sure is interesting. Some moments I’m tempted to hit skip, some moments are mesmerizing, and sometimes I’m just bobbing my head and wanting to dance around in an oversized suit. Mixed reaction summarizes my view of this record, but it’s an impressive work of musical art one way or the other.

Once in a Lifetime is an exceptional track, one that stays with you for hours after listening. That song along gave this album an extra star. Sadly, the rest of the album did not reach close to those heights and I've listened to enough Femi Kuti to be really impressed by what I heard.

Beim kochen. Verschroben, aber cool

It’s such a good album. And that one song is probably one of my favs. But second half of album is a bit unforgettable

Talking Heads’ polyrhythm era. Once In a Lifetime is one of their many masterpieces. This is an amazing album but not my favorite of theirs! It’s like listening to the sound of unraveling (in a good way)

What hasn't been said about remain in light already, it's a perfect masterpiece

Brothers! Sisters! Siblings of all persuasions! Listen! You may find yourself having to talk about Talking Heads' 'Remain In Light'! You may find yourself listening to the album and grooving the hell along with it! You may find yourself staring at a blank document, tryna figure out the words to summarize what is no doubt their greatest album! And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?" For me, that's an easy question: I didn't realize I didn't hafta join this 1001 Albums group to see what albums they were getting. I could have spared myself having to write some 300k+ words current-total of album reviews if I'd just thought of that. But, no, seriously, let's ask this question in a different way. How did I get to calling 'Remain In Light' the band's greatest album? It can't just be parroting the consensus like I'd done prior to taking part in this project. There has something else — where **is** that beautiful reason? And to me, it's a simple matter of asking myself, "Well, how did **they** get here? The band, I mean." If all you know from Talking Heads is "Once In A Lifetime", their first two albums would probably sound pretty strange to you. I mean their funk is just so . . . **stiff**. And **white**. Y'know, they were art geeks back then. 'Talking Heads: 77' and its follow-up, 'More Songs About Buildings & Food', are pretty firmly rooted in the artsy post-punk and burgeoning weird-o new wave sounds of the time. "Psycho Killer" is recognizably **them**, but you'd never guess the grooves they'd be capable of in the future. Even with how they loosened up slightly on 'More Songs'. That's where 'Fear Of Music' enters the picture. It's where the band would gain the biggest thing they were missing to that point: dance influence. Seriously, 'Fear Of Music' is where I'd say I go from just liking the band to truly being a fan of them. Like, sure, sure, let's not pretend they're making hard-hitting dance grooves here; they're still artsy geeks making weirdo white funk. But a song like "Life During Wartime" — oh, it's amazing. As I said back in my review of the album, they can claim that it ain't no party, and that it ain't no disco, but it sure **feels** like it. And where does that highway go? Well, straight to 'Remain In Light'. With the added polyrhythms and African influence, 'Remain In Light' feels like the culmination of their sound. **This** is Talking Heads as you know and love them. And not just because it has the hit single! Like, gawd, the first side of this album is absolute pandemonium, but it's **so fun**. David Byrnes's stream-of-consciousness lyrics probably mean something, but if I can be frank, I don't really care. I'm too busy shimming in my seat and having a blast to look into them. If you wanna, be my guest, but for at least these first three songs, it doesn't really matter. The grooves are just so strong . . . like, my Gawd, what have they done? And yet, despite my proclamation that this is the band's greatest album, I don't think I'd say it's my favorite. Yeah, it's another one of those "I prefer 'Off The Wall' to 'Thriller' because of its signifiance" dealies. I have a lot of fun with 'Remain In Light', of course. It's crazy, polyrhythmic dance funk. How can I not enjoy myself? But it's not like the entire album's that. After "Once In A Lifetime", the mood on side two begins to slide lower and lower on each song. By the time you get to the closer, it honestly feels a little doom-y. Maybe I'm missing something in the lyrics, but for an album called 'Remain In Light', it sure kind of feels like it ends out of the light. You can't even dance to it! Not with my **attitude**, anyway. It's where I think 'Fear Of Music' emerges as my favorite Talking Heads album. It's just far more consistently dance-y. And maybe that's a shallow reason to prefer this album over 'Remain In Light', but the dance-y-ness **is** what I've come to be a fan of the band for. I mean, goodness, if we're gonna allow live albums into the conversation, 'Stop Making Sense' runs the hell away as both as their greatest **and** my favorite. It's such a shot of energy that nothing they did in the studio could even compare to — not 'Fear Of Music' or 'Remain In Light', and certainly not their earlier works. And I guess, to me anyway, 'Fear Of Music' just comes the closest to what I enjoy so much about that album. But we're splitting hairs here, really. 'Remain In Light' is still very much worth your time, and then some. I wanna stress again how much of a rush the first side and "Once In A Lifetime" are. And I bemoan the other songs slowing things down, but I'm not gonna pretend they're not great as well. Jus', y'know, my dang taste gets in the way sometimes. It's still Byrnes and company doin' what they do best, and doin' the best they'd ever do it. So what if I prefer one to another? It's water at the bottom of the ocean, and I'm letting the days go by. Jus' . . . damn, it's a good fuckin' album, in short. And all the amens to that.

What else do I have to say that hasn't been said already? IT'S FREAKING REMAIN IN LIGHT. Solid 5 Stars.

Well, that’s obviously a 5. Arguably a 10. That’s from 1980? Fucking hell. That felt way ahead of schedule. Electronica-infused polyrhythms with a clear African inspiration (apparently from Fela Kuti, which makes a lot of sense – no pun intended), but full of little intricacies in the production work that makes Brian Eno sound like a time-traveling mad genius. Seriously, “Seen And Not Seen” immediately felt like a hip-hop beat from 1992 with that intro, and “Listening Wind” felt like a trip-hop track. Every single soundscape here, including the more ambient Joy Division-inspired “The Overload, is basically perfect. For 1980, this is one of the most impressive production jobs I can remember, and given that it holds up as fresh *45* years later, they were clearly way, way, way ahead of pace. David Byrne has never David Byrne’d it up more than he does here – his vocal style feels more eccentric than ever, but with a much more natural, controlled rhythm that feels like he’s fully come into his own after the steady improvements on both “More Songs About Buildings And Food” & “Fear Of Music”. It’s impossible to not notice him here, and while this album was apparently designed to prove Talking Heads was more than just a “vehicle for David Byrne”, I think it failed spectacularly in that case, solely on account of the brilliant madness that is “Once in a Lifetime”. It’s utter nonsense, sounding like a pastor going through a slow mental breakdown, behind one of the catchiest beats of the 1980s, and David Byrne sells it brilliantly. It’s also fair to say the band has never “Talking Heads”’d it up more than they do here either – yes, Brian Eno’s production work does a lot for this album, but do you hear the band on this thing? This is groovy as hell, even in its most avantgarde moments. The percussion, in particular, is a highlight, but there are some killer fucking basslines on some of these tracks, hidden deep underneath a full charcuterie board of instrumental layering that had to be complex as hell for 1980. I’m deeply, deeply impressed. This is worthy of the acclaim & more; I’m not sure if I can definitively say it’s better than “Fear of Music” to my ears, just because I was really into the consistent theming of that album, as opposed to more of a loose, rhythmically driven theme here, but it’s just as good & certainly as enjoyable. It’s definitely the most fun I’ve had listening to a Talking Heads album, that’s for sure; it’s undeniably catchy as hell, and even a track like “The Great Curve” overcomes some deeper sense of repetition by just being effortlessly easy to move around to. It’s an album where the music speaks for itself, and I think I may find myself behind the wheel of an automobile grooving my head around to every track here in the near future. It’s an easy, easy 5. As far as Talking Heads goes then, I think it’s a hell of a job by the randomizer to make sure we got this one last out of the 4 Talking Heads albums on the list. I gave ‘77 a 3.5 bumped down to a 3, which is a mistake I need to rectify with a re-listen, since it was the 38th album we had gotten and my ears weren’t ready for it. Everything else got a 5, so I suppose that adds up to an 18.5/20, or about a 4.62 on average. Either way, I’m very glad I’ve finally listened to these guys – they deserve their place in musical history, for sure.

6/10

It's OK. Starts off pretty well, Once in a a lifetime is a banger but looses steam towards the end.

Not my vibe apparently

One of the greatest tunes of the 80s surrounded by more fantastic music. Wide variety of sounds and rhythms, a band full of excellent and eclectic musicians.

Once in a Lifetime was amazing. The whole album is strong. Nice change of pace from the filler we’ve been getting.

Produceret af Brian Eno. Ikke mega kritisk populært til at starte med, men fik senere stor ros for at være banebrydende, skævt og nytænkende. Der er meget fokus på loops og sådan gentagelser som lyder meget fedt. Det minder mig lidt om moderne elektronisk musik på en eller anden måde. det er inspireret af afrikansk polyrtme. Det var lidt anset for at være underground og en del af intellektuelle kredse hvor de forbandt avantgarde og dance. Som en del af new wave scenen eksperimenterede man med nye lyde, loops og ikke vestlige musiktraditioner. Postpunk/New-wave Afrobeat/funk fusion og art rock/eksperimentel pop. SYnes det er super danceable og sjovt at lytte til fede lyde osv. virkelig godt album det bedste jeg har hørt af talking heads indtil videre. Hørte endda et andet som en af mine første. Det brød jeg mig ikke vanvittig meget om som jeg husker det, men ens smag udvikler sig vel også. Tror det var langt mere rocket, men ved ikke om det giver mening, for det var også brian eno som producerede det.

I don't get it.

How did this get here?

Still don't get them. Some flashes of fun but never convinces

True weirdo stuff. Not usually stuff I seek out, but I'll almost never ask you to turn it off.

I don't get it.

I don't like this one. I don't completely hate it so I'll give it 2 stars.

The ending always bothered me, but everything leading up to it is amazing.

so fucking good man

FUNKY!

LETS GOOOOOOOOOO one of my all time favorites. I absolutely adore Talking heads and their entire discography. My favroite track from here is The Great curve and Listening wind!

Very, very, quite good

Remain listening.

Really thought I’d like this album, love Once in A Lifetime. Album was meh, some songs just sounded the same

Nice Eno production. Solid and tighter than earlier albums. He's starting to take off and be a serious band at this stage

Love Talking Heads. This album has one of my all time favorite songs on it, Once In A Lifetime. As a whole not a bad album.

This is the Talking Heads at their best. Some really fun and upbeat songs. With that being said I find their style very repetitive and uninteresting. 3/5

A top ten of all time, of course it belongs here

PEAK

O álbum no geral é legal, mas confesso que achei cansativo em algumas passagens. Celest Phoenixcall.

I like their first album the most by a lot Will I listen to again: 75%

Good stuff. Good vibes.

feigned evangelical preaching and buzzing polyrhythms, the album feels like a manic search for meaning. beginning with the frantic and fractured declarations of identity in ‘born under punches’, and ending with the slow churn of ‘the overload’, it both lyrically and sonically takes you on a journey across this urgent spiritual/philosophical search, only to conclude in a sort of existential exhaustion. delicious! 4.5/5

day 7: my god i love david byrne (king)! this album is in my top 10, i have nothing bad to say about this one. when i want to wake up and have a good day, i put this on. from the first note (AH!) this exudes creativity and autism, following into what i believe is the greatest 4-track run in music, rivaled only by the open 4 of mezzanine. the band genuinely went ‘random bullshit go’ on instruments and vocal melodies. these songs follow such a fast pace and rhythm, giving no room to breathe until the album is already half over. i love it so much. the next couple songs stay pleasantly enjoyable, before the last couple turn a cheek. brian eno’s influence couldn’t be clearer here, as if this is a 4th installment to bowie’s berlin trilogy, these last songs take a more ambient, droning approach, with darker, brooding sounds, being even somewhat sinister. such a bizarre musical segue between the two halves, but the songs themselves are still all amazing and serve their purpose. there’s a good reason i dressed up as david byrne for halloween last year.

There's some good stuff here but the second half is super boring and the spoken word parts do nothing for me. Really well done instrumentals though, hard not to tap your foot along to the first half

Eh, not particularly my thing but I get why people like it.

More experimental than most Talking Heads that I remember. Good album

Shouldn't they be Singing Heads? ★★★★

This is a great one.

Once in a Lifetime is a great tune and the rest didn't really hit for me, but I'd listen again.

I had hoped I'd like this album more, but I only really fell for the hits.

Funkier than some of their output. Lyrics and vocals suggest anxiety, frustrations and paranoia. Some tracks somehow manage to be both frantic and overlong. Aside from the banger that is Once in a Lifetime (which was the same as it ever was), I enjoyed Houses in Motion and the more commercial Listening Wind, whereas Crosseyed and Painless was a bit claustrophobic.

Couldn't really get into other songs other than the OIAL

Not really into this one even though it is oft-considered their masterpiece. I just find the afro/world/polyrhythmic influenceds too muted under Eno's 80s production, particularly on the last few songs, to the point of impotence. Freed from Eno:s shackles, I think they would hit their peak on the following Speaking In Tongues - funkier, bouncier, more danceable even. Once In A Lifetime is amazing though, one of the songs of the decade.

Where have taking heads been all my life? Second cracking album from this list I’ve discovered.

Brian Eno I love you. 5/5

Great album, love the vocals

Vibey.

Nearly flawless. Energy flags a bit in the latter 1/3rd, but otherwise no notes.

Great album

Gear: Sennheiser MOMENTUM TW 4 Artwork: 🫣🔴🔲 Production (2005 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🔥🚀🌐 Ratinng: 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️/5

Perfection! Fav: Born under punches (The heat goes on)

One of the first Albums I bought as a 14 year old was Little Creatures which I quite love. I have also seen David Byrne live. In this context I am quite underwhelmed overall by Talking Heads and don’t actually like David Byrnes voice. So there!

Talking Heads can be a lot of fun, they can also feel pretty repetitive. I feel I should love this album more than I do, but 7/10

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected.

Tossed up between two and three, but eventually landed here. Only song that grabbed me was Once in a Lifetime, apart from that it just felt like background guitar for an hour.

Some interesting stuff but a lot of funk-disco jams. Kind of liked it but it didn't grab me.

Been waiting for this one for a long time! What a way to start my week. I actually "discovered" this album through my favorite band Phish, who on some Halloweens would do a "musical Costume" for their second set of the show. in 1994 they did the white album. in 1996 they did Remain in Light. Some of the songs have remained in their rotation since, especially Crosseyed and Painless. Anyway, this is a 5/5 and David Byrne is a big-suit-wearing genius.

Grooooovy. Hypnotic. Weird. Very danceable. I did not know yet that Brian Eno produced this: does he only produce bangers of albums?

It was ok I’d give it a low 3

It's... It's Remain in Light. There are no surprising hot takes here, this album just rules.

What can I say about one of the best albums made? It's very good.

Fantastic. What Mike said - Byrne is a wonderful unique musical/artistic creature and this record is such a fun ride and the same time that I discovered them with once in a lifetime

David Byrne is a one of a kind talent. Incredible rhythms and creativity. There is nobody else who sounds like this. I’m glad I listened to this but don’t see myself revisiting. Great for music appreciation. The last few songs are atmospheric and drag. Prefer much more the first half.